Nature Boy
by cmsully
Summary: I do not know what possessed me to write down the account of one of the strangest and saddest moments of my life… however, I feel as if I owe it to the man who shared it with me. The one who, despite never even knowing his name, I know that I will mourn… for I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he has vanished from the world for good. Rated T to be safe.


*I don't own the movie 'Labyrinth' or the song 'Nature Boy', which inspired this piece.

* * *

I do not know what possessed me to write down the account of one of the strangest and saddest moments of my life… however, I feel as if I owe it to the man who shared it with me. The one who, despite never even knowing his name, I know that I will mourn… for I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he has vanished from the world for good.

That day, at first, was like any other day. I got up, did my morning routine, went to work, and performed the exact same things I did day in and day out. It was when I decided to do something different and eat my dinner in a nearby park that it happened.

As I sat on a bench, enjoying my sub sandwich while watching some children playing nearby, I felt someone sitting next to me. Curious, I turned to see who it was.

I had expected an elderly man, maybe, just hoping to sit down and rest his feet. Or maybe even some oblivious teenager with those annoying earbuds slowly but surely killing their hearing. What I got instead was a David Bowie look-alike sporting an '80's rocker look complete with insanely tight leather pants, a leather jacket, and leather gloves (maybe he was a die-hard fan, or something) gazing at the children with what I could only describe as a wistful look on his face. As if sensing my attention, though, he turned his face towards mine.

As our eyes met, I got the strangest feeling, as if what I was seeing was only a shadow of who he really was- and maybe that's the truth. Maybe he was in a disguise or something to keep people from recognizing who he was… as if maybe he was like some sort of fairy tale creature. Somehow, I could actually see this man taking on that role. Don't know why, but nevertheless, the thought _was_ there.

Or maybe it was due to the fact that he seemed… tired. Not physically tired, no- but definitely emotionally tired. I've seen that look often enough in my own eyes as I came home every day from my job and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror to recognize it.

"Sorry if I am intruding—" he began, a little stiltingly as if he was unused to offering apologies.

"No, no, it's okay," I found myself interrupting. "This bench is public property, after all, and it wasn't like I was waiting for someone."

Smiling a small smile, he inclined his head in thanks. Somehow, the movement struck me as very regal, as if he was royalty or something. Turning back towards the children, the smile on his face suddenly turned sad.

"I just wanted to come to a place where I knew there would be children smiling… laughing… living out their lives without a care in the world," he explained softly, almost as if he was talking to himself.

_Well_, I thought to myself, _that was a weird comment_. However, I said nothing to him. After all, I could understand his reasoning in a way, for I have a small soft spot for children myself.

We sat for several minutes in an almost companionable silence, he continuing to watch the children while I finished my meal and snuck glances at him.

Finally, however, I could take no more. I may not be psychic or anything, but even I could feel the aura surrounding him, an aura so sad that it made me almost want to cry the tears that I knew he was shedding on the inside.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Turning his head towards me, his eyes were widened slightly as if he hadn't expected my offer. He studied me for several long moments, and irrationally I felt as if he was glancing into my soul, searching for something. A fleeting hope flared in my chest, hoping that I wouldn't disappoint this strange, sad man. Finally, he turned away and faced the children once more. I had to restrain myself from gasping for breath.

"Would you like to hear a story?" he asked me.

Confused, I nevertheless nodded my head.

"Once upon a time," he began, "there lived a Goblin King. He didn't exactly remember how he had come to rule, or even where he himself had come from. To him, it seemed as if he had always been there, had always been the King of the Goblins. His kingdom was located in a realm that was both very far from here, yet closer than one would think.

"There were others in that realm, as well, others who ruled over their own kingdoms. Many of these rulers were female, and at one point all of them had tried to woo the King into their beds, hoping to gain the bragging rights that they would receive upon managing to ensnare him, the one who had the greatest will (which to the rulers meant the greatest power) of them all.

"However, he knew that he could never allow any of these females to gain their prize. You see, the others of his kind often looked down upon his subjects, dismissing them as if they were no more than mud upon their shoes. He, however, cared for his Goblins despite the fact that they really weren't the brightest or cleanest of creatures. They had many other redeeming qualities in his eyes, like their playfulness and their loyalty.

"So, after he rejected yet another proposal, he decided to create a test so difficult that all who were considered unworthy would fail, without question. He built a Labyrinth in his Kingdom, a Labyrinth where the walls moved and where nothing was as it seemed. The Labyrinth, afterwards, was often considered to be the pride and joy of his Kingdom, and after several attempts to solve it all of the females he had so abhorred eventually gave up their pursuit of him.

"One day, however, something unexpected happened- he had another duty added to his Kingdom. Children of the mortal realm were being wished away to him and his Goblins."

I listened as he told the tale of how the Goblin King at first was extremely confused by this, and merely sent the wished-away back to wherever they came from. However, when a child who bore severe injuries arrived one day, the Goblin King discovered that the mortal realm had begun to disregard the gift of family. That was when he made the decision that would alter his fate- those who had wished somebody away would have to prove to the King that they were worthy of having the child returned. Their test- none other than the King's Labyrinth. When the first few Runners failed, the Goblin King was surprised to discover that many races of his realm, including his fellow rulers, were more than willing to take in the wish-aways and raise them as their own.

Apparently, centuries had passed in this manner, according to his story. Children were wished away to the Goblin King, who then offered the wisher either their dreams (an added tactic suggested by one of his fellow rulers) or the chance to run his Labyrinth to reclaim the one whom they wished away. Once the wish-aways were fully under his care, they were then either adopted out or, in the case of those who (due to their severe injuries) might not have lived to see another day, were turned into Goblins themselves.

As the strange man continued his tale, the children that were originally playing on the nearby playground were picked up by their parents, while new children took their place. This only registered peripherally in my mind, however, for I was enthralled by this stranger's story.

"However, one day as the Goblin King went out to deliver the newest wish-away to their new home, he discovered something disturbing- the ruler who had been next in line for the child was gone. The castle that had once sparkled with beautiful magic now lay abandoned, and indeed looked almost dead.

"Disturbed beyond belief, the Goblin King made many inquiries. What he found was horrifying- thanks to the dwindling belief of magic in the mortal realm, his fellow rulers and their kingdoms were dying. Immediately, he opened his kingdom as a sanctuary to the survivors of the fallen kingdoms, who were immediately employed to help in the Labyrinth. In time, his kingdom became the only one left. The refugees had all become the last of their kind.

"It took a little longer for this disease to hit his kingdom, however soon it became obvious to the Goblin King that his kingdom was starting to die. In desperation, he took to the mortal realm, hoping to find _someone_ who would help push back the dreadful curse that the lack of belief had caused. Only when he felt himself becoming mortal would the Goblin King return to his kingdom. Years passed in this manner, and the Goblin King started to lose hope that his kingdom and all of its subjects would be able to survive.

"One day, however, as he flew around the mortal realm in one of his alternate forms he felt a wave of despair, one that was so potent that it sparked his natural curiosity. When he investigated, he was stunned by what he had found. The despair had come from a small girl who was watching her mother abandon she and her father… a girl whose belief in magic was so strong that he felt energized by simply being close to her place of residence."

"What was the girl's name?" I couldn't help but ask.

The man smiled a sad smile as he answered, "Her name was Sarah."

I blinked in surprise, for I had expected something a little more fancy, like say Guinevere, Lorelei, or something like that. However, I definitely made sure not to pass this sentiment on to the strange man. This story was obviously important to him, and I knew that I needed to let him tell it in his own way.

"The Goblin King, upon seeing the girl, knew that she would be the one to stop the decay from spreading throughout his kingdom, and longed to immediately take her away. However, he instinctively knew that if he just stole her like some of his fellow rulers had done to other mortals, the girl's spirit would be broken and his kingdom would die even faster. How, then, to get her to his kingdom?

"For several months he observed Sarah with that dilemma prominent in his mind. Finally, when he noticed her going to a semi-secluded part of the local park to recite lines, which she acted with all her soul, he finally got a breakthrough. What if he created a story for her? From his observations, he knew that she loved fairy-tale stories with all her heart, and if he created one such story that had accurate portrayals of his kingdom… it was worth a shot. He quickly ensured that she would be slowly introduced to his kingdom via items styled after some of the many creatures living there (planted into some of the many boxes that the girl's mother had left behind), and then got to work creating a story that Sarah would love with all her heart.

"It took several years for the Goblin King to finally finish the story thanks to the fact that he often took time away to watch over the girl, and during that time Sarah's father had courted and married another woman."

I smirked sadly as I interrupted, "I bet Sarah wasn't happy with that- if she was as big of a fairy-tale lover as you say, I bet she saw the poor woman as a wicked step-mother. And if she had a baby…" As I said these words, I recalled my own experiences with my parents' divorce and subsequent marriages. While I now got along great with my step-mother and step-father, I will freely admit that in the beginning I wasn't exactly the best step-daughter to both of them. Thankfully, I never had to deal with a half-brother or a half-sister, though (although I did gain some step-brothers, who I now consider as close as true brothers).

Raising an eyebrow, he responded, "You're very insightful, for that is exactly what happened. Young Toby was born when Sarah had turned fourteen, and it was his birth that enabled the Goblin King to finally give a reason for the heroine of his story to visit the Underground- by using the duty that once been thrust upon him, but now he embraced. If Sarah treasured the book as much as the other gifts from the Underground that he had snuck into the mortal world, then undoubtedly she would say the correct words for his Goblins to take the boy, thus finally enabling her to meet him."

"So then what?"

"The Goblin King then snuck the book into her mother's old things, and like before she believed that the small book covered in red leather had once belonged to her mother. Sarah quickly fell in love with the Goblin King's story, and from then on always performed the heroine's role in her little corner of the park.

"However, as he watched and waited for the day when she would call upon him (and he had no doubt that it _would_ come to pass), the Goblin King suddenly realized something- during the years he had observed Sarah, he had slowly but surely become entranced with her. Was he in love with her at the time? No. But was there the _possibility _that he would fall for her? He was shocked to realize that yes, indeed, there was."

My eyebrows shot up with surprise. That was a strange twist to the story… in my experience, if there was a fairy tale king and a mortal girl together, the king would've fallen in love with the girl. Having the Goblin King admit that there was a possibility, but not actually _in_ love with Sarah… whoever this guy was, he was _definitely_ a master story-teller.

"For many days he argued with himself over his discovery. How could this have happened? Why did it happen now, when his kingdom was in such peril? However, the most important question he asked himself was this- what was he going to do about it?

"Finally, he came to a solution- he would treat Sarah's Run (and he had no doubt that she would choose to run- after all, he knew that while she would wish little Toby away thanks to her spoiled attitude, she would immediately regret her actions and do anything to get her brother back) as if she had been one of the old rulers who had desired to bed him. If she proved herself worthy, then he would offer himself to her. Then, his kingdom would forever be out of danger, and possibly even flourish in ways that it never had before."

By this point, the playground had emptied out of children. In fact, the sky was starting to change color, signifying that sunset was drawing near. However, even though normally I liked to be home before it got too late, I couldn't bring myself to leave. The wrapper from my sandwich lay in my lap, completely forgotten during the telling of this tale. I wanted, no, _needed_ to hear the rest of this story.

"Finally, a year after the Goblin King had given the story to the girl, Sarah did what he had expected her to do. She wished young Toby away to his Goblins, and his Goblins gleefully answered. For their first meeting, the Goblin King had decided to make a spectacular entrance, and from the look on Sarah's face it certainly had seemed to work.

"Like he had to previous wishers, he offered Sarah her dreams in exchange for the babe. As he expected, she refused. Even as he pretended to be disappointed in her decision to run his Labyrinth, in actuality he was so proud of her for following the path he knew she'd take."

The sky grew more and more golden as he continued his story. Apparently, Sarah managed to overcome every obstacle that the King had to put in her path, while making friends with a dwarf gardener, a loyal rock-caller, and a knightly fox-terrier. While she did so, the Goblin King grew fond of little Toby as he took care of the baby for her.

I listened as the Goblin King danced with Sarah inside of the ballroom dream he had elaborately created for her, and how as he did so he came to realize that one aspect that he had introduced into the story he had written for her was, in fact, correct. The Goblin King _had_ fallen in love with the girl, and desired to make her his bride. However, as she managed to break out of the dream, he was determined to see his original plan through until the end. Sarah _had_ to make it to his castle before he would offer himself to her.

Again, I said nothing about the oddity of this story to the strange man… although, granted, the three companions _were_ closer in line with traditional story tales than this man's tale had been so far.

"The moment finally came. Sarah had made it to the castle with minutes to spare, and now the Goblin King had to entice her to stay- not only for his kingdom, but for him as well.

"Dressing himself up in his finest clothes, the Goblin King strode out towards where his beloved was waiting. Before he could say anything, however, Sarah immediately demanded Toby's return. He grew slightly irritated at this, and proceeded to tell her _just_ how much he had done for her. However, he immediately regretted his actions when she began to recite the final lines that he had written- the lines that would spell doom on everything he had worked for. To that moment, he resented having to write that final scene... however, he also knew that if it wasn't for that scene Sarah wouldn't be standing in front of him.

"Desperately, he once again offered Sarah her dreams. However, she was undeterred in her course of action, and continued to recite the lines. The Goblin King started to panic, fearing that the chance to keep Sarah was slipping through his fingers like water.

"Suddenly, Sarah started to stumble over the last line. The Goblin King literally had seconds on the clock to convince her to stay. In that moment, he proposed to her in the ways of his kind."

The man grew silent at this point. As he closed his eyes, I recognized the look on his face- he was struggling to hold back his tears.

"She rejected him, didn't she?" I asked gently, trying to soften the inevitable blow.

Nodding, the man answered in a whisper, "Yes."

As he took a deep breath to continue, I was surprised at how involved he was with this story. What surprised me more, however, was how involved _I _had gotten. I wanted… no, _needed_ to hear what happened next.

The strange man seemed to sense this, and with herculean effort managed to pull himself together enough to continue the story. "The Goblin King was devastated when she remembered that final line, the one phrase that would force him to acknowledge her victory. Returning her and Toby to their home, he then proceeded to fly away to a nearby tree.

"Surprisingly, however, even though he had been unable to keep Sarah in his kingdom she had found a way to pause the decay in his kingdom- her mirror served as a portal for anyone that she allowed through, and through this odd mechanism had invited many of his subjects to a victory party.

"In time, the Goblin King was tentatively hopeful that despite his failure his kingdom would be able to survive. You see, whenever Sarah summoned any of his subjects, they would unconsciously absorb as much of her belief in magic as they could. Whenever they returned to the kingdom, they would then unconsciously pour what they didn't need back into the kingdom itself. Once Toby grew old enough, he too began to use the same process as Sarah, although he tended to call on the Goblins more than Sarah ever did. In this manner, the Goblin King's kingdom managed to survive the decay that had fallen his fellow kingdoms, although it didn't thrive as much as it would've if Sarah had managed to stay.

"The Goblin King, desperate for an opening that would allow him contact with the girl he loved, watched over Sarah and Toby. Although he couldn't actively do anything for or against them, he was able to watch as Sarah grew into a beautiful young woman, both inside and out. As he did, he continued to fall more in love with her then he ever had.

"On Toby's ninth birthday, however, that all changed… for the worst."

A chill ran down my spine as he uttered that line.

"On that day, the entire family was on their way to Toby's favorite restaurant. Although he couldn't join in the festivities, the Goblin King still accompanied them by flying over their vehicle… a decision he would come to regret.

"The accident was as sudden and unexpected as his discovery of the decay that had destroyed his fellow kingdoms. The driver of the other vehicle was a woman who had been so intoxicated that it was a surprise to everyone that no one had tried to stop her from entering that vehicle.

"As the Goblin King watched with horror, this woman ran a red light and slammed her vehicle into the car that carried his most precious person. Sarah and her father were killed on impact, while Toby and his mother managed to make it to the hospital before they, too, passed into the next world."

I gasped at this even as tears filled my eyes. The poor Goblin King, being forced to watch as his beloved was killed! This story was even more tragic then some of the original Grimm tales that I had heard.

"What happened to the Goblin King?" I whispered, almost afraid of what I might hear next.

The man, whose face had reflected only a fraction of the sorrow that I believed the Goblin King must've felt, answered, "Using his magic, he ensured that the woman would pay for her foolish actions, both by the laws of the mortals and by the laws of his kingdom. Once he had done so, he locked himself up in his rooms to lament the loss of Sarah. Outside of his doors, the entire kingdom grieved as well for the loss of the boy and girl whom they had come to love.

"Once he had managed to get himself under enough control, the Goblin King worried over what would happen to his kingdom now that Sarah and Toby were no longer around to fight the decay. Eventually, he decided on the only course that he could see available to him- spread the book that he had once written for Sarah throughout the mortal world, and hope for the best. Once he had done so, he gave his final orders to the citizens of his kingdom, and departed from his kingdom with the intent to become mortal enough to join Sarah in the afterlife."

Tears fell freely down my cheeks as the man finished his tale. Smiling gently, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a white handkerchief. Handing it to me, he asked, "Why do you cry?"

Nodding my thanks and dabbing my eyes, I sniffled, "Your story… it's just so sad. I feel like my heart is literally bleeding for both the Goblin King _and_ Sarah… they never even got the chance to be together! And the Goblin King's kingdom! Even if it is nothing more than a story, it makes me wish that there was some way I could ensure that it wouldn't die…"

He stared at me with shock in his eyes as I said those words. I didn't blame him, for I was shocked that I had said that myself. While I'm sure that there are many out there who would secretly wish something like that, it's another thing to admit it aloud to a complete stranger. As he stared at me, though, I once again felt that irrational feeling that he was searching my soul for something… what, however, I don't know.

"You really do feel that way…" he finally breathed. A thoughtful expression filled his face then, and stayed there for several long minutes. While he did so, I suddenly remembered the empty wrapper that was lying in my lap. Balling it up, I promptly performed a perfect basketball toss into the nearby garbage can- which surprised me, for more times than not I'd miss.

The sound of the man clearing his throat brought my attention back to him.

"I just want to say thank you for listening to my tale," he began. Before I could tell him it was no problem, however, he continued, "and to show my appreciation, I'd like for you to have this."

As he said this, suddenly he seemed to grab a small crystal ball seemingly out of nowhere. I'll admit, my jaw slightly dropped at this rather impressive sleight of hand. Holding it out to me, the man's face seemed to hold a slight challenge to it.

For a brief moment, I felt a flare of unease. To this moment, it's still hard to articulate exactly why I felt this unease… the closest I can come to it is that for that brief moment I somehow knew that if I took the man's crystal, my life would change forever in ways that I could only dream of. Nonetheless, I shook it off and gently took the crystal from the man.

I was shocked to feel at how warm this little round orb was, and I don't mean warm as if it had been sitting in the man's pocket all day. No, for some odd reason the small crystal seemed to… I dunno, radiate some kind of warm feeling or something. You know, kind of like how when you see something that was obviously created with love you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Looking back up at the man, I said, "Thank you… I really like this!"

"I'm glad," he responded, his sincerity filling his voice.

Suddenly the stranger stood and started to walk away. "Wait, where're you going?" I called out to him.

As he stopped and turned back towards me, suddenly the light of the setting sun struck him in such a way that for one brief moment, I would swear that this strange, sad man _was_ in fact the Goblin King from his tale.

"I'm going to follow my heart to where it belongs," he answered. Giving me one final glance, he added, "My only wish is that you do the same."

Before I could ask him what he meant, the sun's rays pierced into my eyes in a way that I was forced to raise one of my arms to block them. When I was able to see again, the man was gone.

Ever since that day, I have felt a sorrow in my soul that is unmatched by any that I've ever felt before. Even now, as I glance at the tiny orb that's sitting right next to my computer, I am reminded of that strange, sad man. Maybe that's why—

Wait. Is that little orb… _glowing_? And what was that sound? I better check it out…

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A/N: So, yeah, this is my attempt at a different writing style... normally I write in third-person perspective, but I wanted to give first-person perspective a try. What do you guys think? This particular plot-bunny was also born when I heard a version of 'Nature Boy' that I _think_ was sung by David Bowie himself... not sure on that one, though, considering the person who uploaded the song never bothered to put up who the artist was. If you want the link, let me know and I'll send it to you so that you can listen to it!


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